"Because prosecution has not proven their case beyond reasonable doubt, the law requires one fair verdict. Your honor, I ask that you find Casey Jones not guilty."

That’s what Harrison High School defense team told Judge Sean Persin as they delivered closing arguments inside Tippecanoe Circuit Court, in a mock trial.

Business teacher Brian Heath designed the assignment for his Management Fundamentals class as a way to bring the legal aspects of business to life and help students understand how the court system works. Heath’s students built the defense, while students from Greater Lafayette Career Academy, led by instructor Keene Red Elk, took on the roles of prosecutors, witnesses and the victim.

“We live in a very litigious society and the chances of someone going to court are greater than ever,” Heath says. “The students have now taken away the mystery of what happens in a court and have replaced that with a healthy confidence that the courts work for people when they know how they operate.”

For Harrison senior Noah Douglas, who played the role of a defense attorney, the experience goes far beyond the assignment. He says learning how trials unfold and how attorneys build a case sparked a new interest in his future. “It sparks this passion for it that I never knew I had,” Noah says. “Up until now I had no clue what I could possibly want to do after high school, but now I am really thinking about going to law school.”

Harrison junior Logan Burkhart, who helped with direct examination, says stepping into a real courtroom made the experience memorable. “My biggest takeaway is that being a lawyer is a lot more work than I thought,” Logan says. “And I would like to serve on a jury someday, if it was an interesting case.”

Red Elk says it was an extremely valuable learning experience for his students to complete this assignment in front of an actual judge. 

“During the trial, the students were required to understand courtroom respect and procedure which meant asking for permission to approach the witness or the bench and the proper way to submit evidence for admission into the trial,” Red Elk says. “For witnesses, they learned the lesson of being prepared for trial and how to answer questions from both sides.” 

While no official verdict was delivered, the impact was clear. Judge Persin praised both sides and chose not to declare a winner, emphasizing how well the students presented their cases.